The German published patent application DE 10 2008 030 163 A1 discloses a method for the simulation of an embedded system comprising plural processing elements. The embedded system is modeled on a host computer. Each processing element has a scheduler selecting the next process to be executed on the specific processing element from a list of processes assigned to the processing element. The processing elements to be simulated are selected by a scheduler which is part of the host computer, not of the simulated embedded system. Migration of processes between processing elements is not possible in the model of the embedded system.
The published US patent application US 2007/0129929 A1 describes the simulation of a hardware or software system using a multitasking computer code. The method is based on the times required for the execution of the simulated tasks.
The German published patent application DE 10 2006 023 754 A1 discusses a method for optimizing the assignment of staff to specific tasks, in particular in the context of a call centre. The quality of each specific assignment is assessed based on a number of criteria. A simulation of the activities, for example in a call centre, is not carried out.
The German published patent application DE 10 2006 010 400 A1 is concerned with finding an optimized scheduling plan for a distributed time-triggered computer network. An essential part of the method is the analysis of dependencies between elements of the system.
The German published patent application DE 102 58 655 A1 discloses a method for model based planning and optimization of manufacturing processes. The method is mainly concerned with predicting delivery times of goods ordered to be manufactured, including also the possibility to change an initial plan for the manufacture of specific items if disruptions occur in the manufacturing system.
The German published patent application DE 10 2008 046 096 A1 refers to a method for determining suitable requirements for at least one hardware unit of a computer system. The at least one hardware unit is modeled using varying operation parameters, and the performance resulting from a specific set of operation parameters is monitored. The variation of the operation parameters aims at fulfilling desired performance criteria.
The German utility model DE 20 2009 011 267 U1 discusses a device for configuring a time-triggered bus system. The bus system comprises at least two bus nodes and a data bus connecting the bus nodes. On each bus node at least one node task and at least one transmission task can be executed.
The German translation DE 603 10 048 T2 of the European patent EP 1 488 652 B1 regards a method, apparatus, and system for the simulation of mixed traffic in a wireless network. The mixed traffic comprises switch-based traffic and packet-based traffic.
The German translation DE 38 82 990 T2 of the European patent EP 0 358 704 B1 concerns a method and apparatus for the simulation of M-dimensional connection networks in an N-dimensional network, where M is less than N. The method refers in particular to the control of a parallel processor.
The article “Minimizing the Power Consumption of a Chip Multiprocessor under an Average Throughput Constraint” by M. Ghasemazar et al, 11th International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design (ISQED), pages 362-371, 2010, IEEE, Piscataway, N.J., USA, discloses the simulation of a computer system in which a scheduling unit assigns tasks to two further scheduling units, each of which in turn assigns tasks to plural functional units.
In many fields of technology systems which exhibit high design complexity are commonplace. System here is to be understood in quite broad a sense, and includes for example computer systems, manufacturing systems, networks, or the organization of collaboration between plural individuals. Computer systems may be any kind of computer system, in particular multi-core or multi-processor systems, which in either case may be embedded or non-embedded systems. Manufacturing systems may include any apparatus used for the manufacture of goods, but may also include plural production sites each of which contributes to the production of an end product. Networks can be any type of network, like communication networks, pipelines, power-lines, passenger transport networks, cargo transport networks. The organization of collaboration between individuals in particular includes the assignment of tasks to specific individuals in coordination with the assignment of tasks to different individuals, depending on the qualifications of the respective individual.
Design evaluation of a system includes that a system not yet existing in reality but only planned or designed is evaluated with respect to characteristics like performance to be expected of the system once it has been built, furthermore includes the evaluation of an existing system to determine specific characteristics of the system, and also the planning of operations on an existing system in order to determine how a given objective might most efficiently be achieved on the existing system. Naturally, also combinations of the above possibilities are included. As one example, in order to achieve a given objective, not only may an existing system be taken as fixed, but also some modifications to the system might be considered.